The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-01
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN.
A Plan by Which Spring Cleaning May BE
Advanced to the Dignity of q Profession.
r the indianapolis journal.

Advanced to the Dignity OF Profession.
| Written for the India napolis Journal.
A New business for Women.
"Fhe melancholy days have come the saddest of the
year,
OF cleaning paint and scrubbing floors and securing
far and near"
The back yards are Uttered with all manner of
household goods, and the thwack of carpet-beat-
ing is heard on every hand, and the feminine
world is enjoying the high tide of the spring
cleaning carnival. In the spring n woman's
fancy turns to thoughts of renovating all her
belongings, from Easter bonnets to kitchen
closets, just as surely the young mans fancy
lightly turns thoughts of love" This great
domestic upheaval that the average man cannot
"see any sense in" is but the following out Of
resistless feminine instincts. This natural desire
for change and cleanliness does not stop at
house-cleanine. and is one Of the important ele
ments in the process of evolution. Otherwise
this old earth would soon be lost under its own
dust, and ashes, and debris.
In her spring cleaning career the housekeeper
frequently has need of aids-extra help to
carry out her plans and fulfill her desires.
Among the comparatively few working women
who don't object to doing house cleaning at rs
cents or 81 per day, provided all their condi-
tons and environments are Just right at the
time they are wanted, she may find one who is
willing and efficient But with the majority,
with many housekeepers. the theory and practice
of house cleaning is "slashin's and slashns' of
soap and water applied with little elbow grease
and less brains. The better the housekeeper nm
derstands the science of cleaning the more diff
cult it is to obtain help that is of
employs man. Men are additionally
prompt and thorough in their work, but
traditions are not always supported by facts.
The man on whose promises she implicitly de-
ponds is apt to put in late appearances. having
been detained by imperative demand else
where for his invaluable services Ten chances
to one she finds that his theory of house-cean
ing is embraced in getting the carpet up and in
getting it down again, and that he is dominated
by two ideas only-he isn't going to be hurried,
and he won't be bossed by woman! This latter
assertion is besettinG weakness of the superior
sex. and the less capable n man is of controlling
himself. or of directing his affairs wisely or do
ing certain work skillfully, the moro emphatic
and defiant is his declaration that he doesn't
allow no woman TO boss him."
AS a paid occupation, housekeeping is ranked
low, though the pay is better than in many
others Few women willing to engage in it.
1t is too hard. dirty and dsagreeable they Fay.
though why it is harder than running a sewing
machine sixteen hours out of twenty.four or
why it is more dirty and dsagreeabe than sort
ing rags or stemming tobacco does not appear.
Properly estimated it would take front rank.
1t is one OF the essentials. the demand is urgent
in the On it depends much of the
beauty of the house. the durability of its fur
pishings and the comfort and health of its in
mates 1t is an important form of
applied art and science. 1t calls for
the skill of the needle-worker, the
scourer and the artisan the cunning of the
chemist, the knowledge OF the sanitary expert
and the taste of the educated decorator Herein
lies a neglected opportunity. Why should not
some woman raise this h um BILE occupation which
is distinctivey in the line of feminine instincts
and inclinations to the dignity of business
profession? just men have evolved the
steam laundry from the family washboar and
tub and the great bakeries from the kitchen oven
Let us suppose, as the children say with the
budding of the trees or the falling of the
leaves madame wishes her palace with its
elegant furnishings and endless bric-a-
brac, thoroughly cleaned For dust
and CRIME accumulate. and moths
and rust corrupt in the palace as we'll "a in the
cottage. Madame communicates with the Office
of Miss H., professional household renovator."
At the appointed time weather permitting, Miss
Il. comes with her trained assistants who have
sufficient strength sense and conscience to faith
fully execute orders She brings light padded
packing cases in which the ornaments small
pictures etc. can be safely stored while room
is being cleaned. She brings her supply of inn
PIGMENTS; her scrub brushes and whisk brooms
and hair brushes and brooms of different sizes,
her bristle brushes 10 clean carvings and crevices
and her assortment of clean cloths and busters,
and chamois skins. Also, her cases of chemicals |
and cleansing agents and disintectants and her |
assortment of silks and worsteds for darning
pets ard upholsteries She begins with the cell |
lar. All rubbish, ashes and forms of decay |
removed, coal-bins swept, walls and ceiling |
whitewashed, floor cleaned, and everything puri- |
proceeds through
one room at "A time The range and furnace |
fues cleaned. the drain pipes and stationary |
basins thoroughly examined and cleansed with |
carbolic acid, or coperas If needed. CARPETS |
carefully taken up. shaken and swept. not |
pounded to pieces. Carpets rugs and draperies /
badly soled are sent TO Miss q. g establishment |
pets slightly soiled are rubbed hard |
lengthwise mot across) with cloths wrung |
out of water to which ammonia has been added |
and then rubbed dry with clean cloths the
ter being changed as it becomes dirty. Wooden |
and silk draperies brushed, spread upon g |
table and carefully wiped with soft cloths. Dusty
floors sprinkled with damp sand and swept,
then scrubbed with hot water. to which carboic |
acid has been added thereby killing all germs.
Hard wood floors, oiled painted. wiped
with cold water, to which little CASTLE soap is
and liuseed or sweet oil have been added. Walls
and ceilings are carefully wiped Oil cloths are
washed with skim milk and soft flannel cloths
and rubbed dry, without use of soap or |
scrubbing brushes. then given coat of |
thin damar varnish, which makes them as
washed with hot salt water. Wooden carpets are
wiped with cloths wrung ont Of clear cold water,
and rubbed with dry cloth, then rubbed with
beeswax and turpentne. applied with fat
brush, and polished with a soft cloth
Painted wood work is washed with soft flannel,
warm water and whiting. or with finely -pulver-
lied pumice stone. and grained vanished
wood work with cold tea, and scratched and
Clipped places are deftly repaired with paint or
Windows washed with warm
water with a little ammonia in II. and polished
with lintess cloths or chanois. Splashes of paint
are removed with diluted oxac acid Breaks in
plastered walls are repaired with plaster of Paris
Spots wallpaper are cleaned with stale bread
or covered with paper carefully matched Will
low furniture is washed with salt water applied
with a coarse brush. Upholstered furniture is
thoroughly brushed and rubbed If infested
with moths ii Is saturated with benzine Ksro-
sene is used with tristle brush to clean carved
work. Vanished surfaces rubbed with
mixture of one part sweet oil to two Of turpen-
tine, which polishes and removes scratches
Oiled woods are rubbed with flannel wet in lin
1A<fi-C ran .yGAf -<-
RIGS with benzine. Ink-spots with oxalic acid
followed by thorough rinsng and a little ammo I
MIA 10 nertraliZe the acid. Steel CRATES are
cleaned with fine emery paper and sweet-oil
Lon ruhhad with Lie. .a..u...a..-'